One of the single biggest drivers that has contributed to the explosive adoption and expansion of the Internet is the World Wide Web and the network browsing applications, or browsers, used to view information accessible on the World Wide Web. At its most basic, the World Wide Web, or web, is a collection of documents written using a well-structured language such as that defined in the HyperText Markup Language (“HTML”) specification, the eXtensible Markup Language (“XML”) specification, or other such specifications. Browsers can read such documents and render them, such that they are more easily read and understood by users.
The increasing adoption of browsers by users has also spurred the introduction of add-ons, plug-ins, or other helper applications which further enhance the browser's capabilities. Helper applications are separate, compiled applications which must be downloaded and installed on an individual computing device on which the browser is operating, but which integrate into the browser. As a downloadable application, the helper application can become out of date, requires download and re-installation when new features or functionality are added, and could have issues of browser compatibility with newer and/or older browser versions. As a piece of software, the helper application also needs to be compatible with other software. When incompatible versions of other software are encountered, a forced download of alternative versions of the helper application may be required to ensure compatibility. Such alternative helper application versions may not contain all of the latest features and functions associated with the helper application, and therefore may not be as desirable for the user.
In addition, settings for the helper application are frequently configured on a per computer basis. When a user uses a computer or other computing device other than his or her main computer, the helper application may either not exist at all or may need to be installed, and if it is installed, it frequently does not conform to the user's preferences.
An example of a helper application is the well-known downloadable toolbar. When installed, the downloadable toolbar allows users to customize their browsing experience and to have such a customized experience follow them from computing device to computing device. By way of example, such toolbars typically allow users to easily add entries to, remove entries from, and organize a list of their favorite web sites. Such toolbars can also notify users when a new E-mail has arrived, facilitates access to commonly used web sites and/or features, and allows users to easily search for information of interest directly from the browser's main window.